Common Name:

General Information

Micromelum minutum is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 10 metres tall, occasionally to 20 metres. The bole can be 15 - 30cm in diameter and is sometimes fluted[, , ].
The plant is valued mainly for its medicinal uses, being commonly harvested from the wild and traded locally. It is an ingredient of herbal supplements that are traded in Malaysia and the Middle East[]. It also supplies a useful timber and has edible young shoots.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Sri Lanka, Nicobar and Andaman Is, Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, to the Pacific,

Habitat

An understorey plant in dense, evergreen forests[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants can grow on a wide range of soils[].
The plant can commence flowering when a small shrub[].
It flowers and fruits throughout the year in non-seasonal climates. However, in areas with a pronounced dry season, flowering is restricted to the wet season[].

Edible Uses

Young shoots[].

Medicinal

The leaves are taken as a general tonic[], and are used to regulate menstruation and to treat fevers[]. The young shoots are heated with oil and used as a medicine for treating infantile convulsions[]. The juice from the leaves is used to treat white scum on the tongue, bad breath and haemorrhoids[]. An infusion of the leaves is used to treat toothache and teething problems in babies[].
The pounded leaves are an ingredient of a poultice used to relieve skin irritation[]. The leaves are rubbed on the skin to relieve irritations caused by scabies[].

The leaves or inner bark of the twigs are used in various ways to remedy headache and stomach-ache, to cure coughs and a sore tongue, to arrest profuse menstruation, to treat gonorrhoea, and as a remedy for thrush[].

Fluid from the bark is used to treat headaches and sore throats. An infusion of the bark is ingested to cure stomach ache[].

The leaves and roots are used as a febrifuge[].

A poultice of boiled roots is applied for ague[]. The roots in decoction or infusion are given for diarrhoea in children, and as a carminative. They are considered to be useful for easing toothache and are also used as a remedy for stomach-ache and headache[]. Pieces of the root are chewed with betel for coughs[].

Part of the plant is used to treat swellings[]. The plant is used to cure headache[]. (Parts not specified).

The plant has been shown to contain a range of coumarins, many of which have potential medicinal benefits[].
Leaf and stem material of this plant has been shown to be active against some tumours[].

Other Uses

The wood is light in weight, durable. It is used for light construction, furniture and handles, but is of little economic interest[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sown fresh, it can germinate in 12 - 47 days[].

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